Analysis and Recommendations for Information Technology User Support Provided to a Government Field Office

Chapter 1

Introduction

Through the history of the Organization, improvements in emergency services to the public were, in part, accomplished by the implementation of advanced information technology (IT) at the Organization's field offices. In the forward of the Organization Strategic Plan for 2005 - 2010, the Assistant Administrator for Emergency Services reiterates that "from our beginnings in the 19th century, the Organization has depended on our employees, partnerships, advances in scientific understanding, and improvements in technology to carry out our core mission of protection of life and property and enhancing the economy." The Organization also expects that the advances in emergency services will continue, as the 21^st century "promises significant improvements to public safety and economic well being" through the utilization of "rapid science and technological advances" (Organization, 2005, p. 5).

The effective use of IT within the Organization, from its headquarters to its field offices, is a critical success factor for the agency to accomplish its mission (Office of the Chief Information Officer, 2003). [ ] Yet, despite all the advances in the new technology, the performance gains could not have been made without the contributions of the organization's employees and partners.

While an improvement in technology allows the opportunity for organizations to improve their products and services, ultimately, the successful use of the technology rests in the hands of its users. If the user does not receive adequate support in using IT, an organization is unlikely to reap the full benefits of its IT assets. While improving IT may provide improved tools for users to accomplish their goals, the technology itself does not equate to improved user support. Instead, surveys of IT professionals have shown that communication and the quality of the professional relationship between the IT staff and the IT users are critical elements of user support (CIO Research Report, 2001).

Most organizations understand the importance of providing support to their customers. Yet, the reasons for why an organization should provide the same type of customer service to its own employees may be elusive. A recent article written in a magazine for Chief Information Officers pointed out that it is in the best interest of organizations to provide quality IT user support:

Consequently, the abdication of end user support has not only political repercussions for the organization, it has knowledge management repercussions as well. Perverse incentives are in play. CIOs can legitimately ask if it makes sense for their technical experts to spend time educating people who frequently view upgrades as necessary evils. Outsourcing education, training and support has a definite appeal. But the impact on effective implementations quickly becomes apparent . . . .

Accountability is the central issue. Why? Because a mediocre implementation turns even the best app into a marginal investment; a superior implementation elevates even mediocre apps into strategic assets. More often than not, technical excellence is subordinate to excellent training and support in making that happen.

(Schrage, 2002, ¶ 3, 8)

It is in the best interest of the Organization to improve the user support it provides to its IT users. Providing support to the users of IT allows an organization to effectively and efficiently make use of the organization's IT.

The goal of this professional report is to investigate how IT user support can be improved in a government field office. Specifically, in Chapter 2, an analysis of the current state of the user support program will be conducted, focusing on the information systems used to support the program. Looking at ideal information systems and comparing them with the current information systems of the Organization should help identify the opportunity for improvement in the field office user support programs. Finally, in Chapter 3, the report will conclude with recommendations for changes and implementation strategies the Organization should consider for improving the IT user support program in field offices.

The author's own experience with the organization has shown that providing IT support to users at a government field office can be an overwhelming task. To help the reader understand the context of this report, a brief description of the organization's mission and structure, an overview of the author's professional history and current position within the Organization, and recent history of IT within the organization are presented in the remainder of this chapter.

Description of the Organization

The Organization's mission is to provide emergency services and warnings to the people it serves, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the economy. The mission statement also states that the Organization's "data and products form a national information database and infrastructure which can be used by other governmental agencies, the private sector, and the global community" (Organization, 2005, p. 5). The Organization's information infrastructure related activities consist of three parts: (a) the collection of data from observation systems such as radars, satellites, data buoys for marine observations, surface observing systems, and instruments for monitoring space weather and air quality, (b) analysis of the data by both humans and machines to support the issuance of emergency service products and supporting data, and (c) the distribution of the Organization's information products and data to its partners and the general public.

The physical structure of the Organization and its partners includes [numerous] Emergency Field Offices across the nation and several regional offices. The Emergency Field Office that is investigated in this report is located in the Organization's Central Region. The Organization is part of a larger Parent Organization which, in turn, is a member of a department in the government.

The Organization and its partners employ nearly 4,700 employees with approximately 3,000 of its employees working in the Emergency Field Offices (Organization, 2005, p. 1). Although the Emergency Field Office is lower in the hierarchical structure of the organization, it actually has much more direct contact with the general public than most of the remaining entities within the Organization. This is due to the fact that field offices have been given emergency management responsibilities for specific geographic areas putting them in direct contact with the general public and other municipal, state, and federal entities. The field office is also in more direct contact with private businesses including the local broadcast and print media. The Emergency Field Office has the responsibility, when necessary, to provide backup service for another field office's area of responsibility, increasing the office's influence in terms of service to the public.

On average, about 25 employees are utilized at each field office with majority of the employees directly involved in the Operations Unit. The Operations Unit is responsible for collecting and disseminating data and emergency service products to the media, the general public, and other government organizations at the city, county, state, and federal levels. A small number of employees (two to four people) are members of the IT staff and are involved in the maintenance of electronics equipment and system administration of the office's computer infrastructure. The remaining field office personnel are in management or administrative positions overseeing various office programs.

Chapter 1 continued >>>

Using Information Systems to Improve IT User Support

1. Introduction and Historical Background
2. Analysis and Methodology
3. Information Technology Changes for the User
4. Documentation for the User
5. Recommendations for the Field Office IT User Support Program
6. References